By: Lena Maffei
Now that the 2020- ‘21 academic year has begun, it seems like students are finally returning to a somewhat normal college experience—with some unique adjustments. The university has welcomed back 700 residential students and re-opening many in-person classes, although some classes and services still remain online. However, despite the progress that has been made, things are not completely “back to normal” yet. The virus is still a threat, and students and faculty alike need to be conscious of that fact if Adelphi intends to stay open.
I am one of the people who spent much of their summer vacation worrying about this. As the school year approached, I became increasingly concerned with both how residential life was going to change to adapt to the current pandemic and whether it would change at all. As more of the classes that I took and the services that I utilized on-campus became available online (and sometimes only online), I had to ask myself whether it was still worth it, both financially and in terms of the experience, to live on campus this semester at all.
Fortunately, Samantha Bassford, Waldo Hall director, was able to direct me to a Zoom session where other students and I could have our questions about Residential Living. We asked questions about a variety of topics, from whether students could still set up their video game consoles in the lounge to whether the shuttle buses to and from campus were still operating. (The answer to both of these was yes, in case anyone is curious.) What I was able to gather from that meeting is that this year’s Residential Living and last year’s Residential Living are mostly the same, the main difference being that there are stricter rules regarding certain aspects of dorm life in order to ensure that people are careful. Many of these rules concern the people who enter and exit the buildings. Students are no longer allowed to bring guests from outside their own dorm, and residents returning from outside will receive temperature checks. The lounges, while still usable, are now required to be socially distanced. As someone who didn’t often bring guests over and avoided the lounge if it was too crowded, these changes don’t bother me much. But even the people who are bothered should be able to acknowledge that it’s a small price to pay for safety on campus.
Resident Assistant Carla Crump, class of 2022, from Linen Hall said, “Being a new resident assistant at Adelphi University has already been an eye-opening experience. From the training to the building prep, and now getting to meet our residents it has all been worth it.
“With the procedures and policies, we now have to follow because of the Covid-19 virus, the position of a resident assistant is going to be a little different,” Crump continued. “Our goal as resident assistants this year is to engage and interact with our residents as much as possible.”
This year on campus will require some sacrifice for residents. Students may no longer roam the halls without a mask or have other guests over if they are not from your building.
“In a time where class and events are online and interaction is at its all-time low we want to be there for our residents and make the most out of this experience,” Crump said. “It’ll be a little different since there are going to barely be any in person programs, but I know for a fact that the resident assistants are going to pull it off.”
Crump added: “We want to make their time here worthy, but at the same time enforcing and following the rules to enhance everyone's safety here in the residence halls. So, let’s make this semester one we will never forget.”
With a semester filled with changes on our hands its unsurprising residential life will look different, but our student resident assistants are ready to help out and make this semester count.